0-60 in 40 seconds!

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I have a Ford KA 1.3i with PAS from 1998. About a week ago I noticed that the car felt particually under powered and was taking a long time to get up to speed.

The 0-30 mph seems pretty normal at about 7 seconds, but the 30-60 now takes an additional 40 ish seconds which is well over the manufacturers rated 14.3 seconds for the whole 0-60 mph.

I have noticed that from 65 mph onwards in 5th gear there is what sounds like a drinking noise comming from the engine. The kind of sound that you might get when slurping a drink. The sound also happens in other gears at what sounds like the same rev range but it's hard to tell without a tachometer.

Can anyone suggest some likley causes for the slugish accelleration? I would appreciate some suggestions of which bits might need swapping out. It feels like I've got 4 rugby players in the car when it's just me and an empty car.

Turning up the radio does stop me from being able to hear that strange sound from the engine but I fear this is not what most people would consider a long term solution.

I have a Ford KA 1.3i with PAS from 1998. About a week ago I noticed that the car felt particually under powered and was taking a long time to get up to speed.

The 0-30 mph seems pretty normal at about 7 seconds, but the 30-60 now takes an additional 40 ish seconds which is well over the manufacturers rated 14.3 seconds for the whole 0-60 mph.

I have noticed that from 65 mph onwards in 5th gear there is what sounds like a drinking noise comming from the engine. The kind of sound that you might get when slurping a drink. The sound also happens in other gears at what sounds like the same rev range but it's hard to tell without a tachometer.

Can anyone suggest some likley causes for the slugish accelleration? I would appreciate some suggestions of which bits might need swapping out. It feels like I've got 4 rugby players in the car when it's just me and an empty car.

Turning up the radio does stop me from being able to hear that strange sound from the engine but I fear this is not what most people would consider a long term solution.

Any help you can give will be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Sam Magee

1ST OFF I WOULD TRY THE FOLLOWING

NEW PLUGS

AIR FILTER

OIL CHANGE & FILTER

IT COULD BE

A BLOCKED PETROL FILTER

THIS IS LOCATED ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE NEAR THE TANK

EASY TO REPALCE

IT COULD ALSO BE 1 OF THE FOLLOWING

FAULTY FUEL PUMP OR LOW DELIVERY PRESSURE

WORN CYLINDER

ALSO CHECK THE THROTTLE BODY FOR LEAKS AS THIS CAN CAUSE IT &

CHECK THE HOSES THAT FIT ONTO IT

BLOCKED INJECTORS

BUY SOME LUBE TO CLEAR THE INJECTORS THAT YOU ADD WITH THE PETROL (RED-X) MAYBE

THE NOISE YOU SAY YOU HAVE MAYBE

HAVE THE CAR HAD A TIMING CHAIN DONE RECENTLY AS THAT MAY CAUSE IT IF IT'S NOT BEEN

FITTED CORRECTLY

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW LONG IT'S BEEN HAPPENING ?

I WOULD DEFO TRY

PLUGS & FILTERS 1ST

TRY DRIVING IT WITHOUT THE AIR FILTER ON THEN SEE IF IT'S ANY DIFFTENT ?

BUY SOME LUBE TO CLEAR THE INJECTORS THAT YOU ADD WITH THE PETROL (RED-X) MAYBE

THE NOISE YOU SAY YOU HAVE MAYBE

HAVE THE CAR HAD A TIMING CHAIN DONE RECENTLY AS THAT MAY CAUSE IT IF IT'S NOT BEEN

FITTED CORRECTLY

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW LONG IT'S BEEN HAPPENING ?

I WOULD DEFO TRY

PLUGS & FILTERS 1ST

TRY DRIVING IT WITHOUT THE AIR FILTER ON THEN SEE IF IT'S ANY DIFFTENT ?

LET ME KNOW MORE IF POSS M8

Thanks for your quick response.

The problems be going on for about a week/week and a half now. I haven't had the car serviced by anyone since Feb but so I don't think anyone has played with the timing since then. I have however replaced the following today as suggested.

>Air filters (Large yellow one and small blue sponge)

>Oil filter

>Oil (3.25 liters of 5w-30)

>Petrol filter

>Spark plugs

>Put in a bottle of REDEX equivilant in the petrol tank (I could only find one injector cleaner but a dozen differant types of fresh cake at my local BP!).

>Oh and the rear windscreen wiper blade ;-)

The car now seems to strugle to top 50 mph. Doh! I can't tell if the sound has gone because it won't get up to speed. I will have a test drive on the M25 tomorrow.

I keep checking the oil level but am finding it a little hard to tell what the level is as the oil is so transparent compaired to the near black stuff that came out of the sump (I'm guessing this is a good thing).

I put in the 3.25 liters of oil as I believe is recommended in the owners manual. My best guess is that the oil level is slightly too high but I'm going to have another look tomorrow when it's light.

Yesterday I tried driving without the air filter and then without the air mass flow meter attached but the car performed the same as with them both plugged in.

If you have some more ideas of things that I can check I would appreciate it.

The problems be going on for about a week/week and a half now. I haven't had the car serviced by anyone since Feb but so I don't think anyone has played with the timing since then. I have however replaced the following today as suggested.

>Air filters (Large yellow one and small blue sponge)

>Oil filter

>Oil (3.25 liters of 5w-30)

>Petrol filter

>Spark plugs

>Put in a bottle of REDEX equivilant in the petrol tank (I could only find one injector cleaner but a dozen differant types of fresh cake at my local BP!).

>Oh and the rear windscreen wiper blade ;-)

The car now seems to strugle to top 50 mph. Doh! I can't tell if the sound has gone because it won't get up to speed. I will have a test drive on the M25 tomorrow.

I keep checking the oil level but am finding it a little hard to tell what the level is as the oil is so transparent compaired to the near black stuff that came out of the sump (I'm guessing this is a good thing).

I put in the 3.25 liters of oil as I believe is recommended in the owners manual. My best guess is that the oil level is slightly too high but I'm going to have another look tomorrow when it's light.

Yesterday I tried driving without the air filter and then without the air mass flow meter attached but the car performed the same as with them both plugged in.

If you have some more ideas of things that I can check I would appreciate it.

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The clutch and gear box feel/sound ok. In fact the car all be it slow is ok for about a mile or two once it is started.

Whilst test driving it today I had to pull over as with 'foot through the carpet' in first gear the car was really struggeling to make it much over 10 mph. I thought the engine was seizing but already confirmed that the oil level was fine.

After a 10 min rest the car was once again moving (all be it giving me only around 12 mph per gear) for about a mile or two.

A friend has suggested that there might be a blockage in the cat or the exhaust system. Now that we know that the air/fuel going in is good there might be something stopping the exhause fumes from comming out.

I'm taking the KA to be tested at my local kwik fit tomorrow at lunch. And will post the results tomorrow.

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The clutch and gear box feel/sound ok. In fact the car all be it slow is ok for about a mile or two once it is started.

Whilst test driving it today I had to pull over as with 'foot through the carpet' in first gear the car was really struggeling to make it much over 10 mph. I thought the engine was seizing but already confirmed that the oil level was fine.

After a 10 min rest the car was once again moving (all be it giving me only around 12 mph per gear) for about a mile or two.

A friend has suggested that there might be a blockage in the cat or the exhaust system. Now that we know that the air/fuel going in is good there might be something stopping the exhause fumes from comming out.

I'm taking the KA to be tested at my local kwik fit tomorrow at lunch. And will post the results tomorrow.

A new back box has revitalised the car. 0-60 is now 13 seconds which is better than the rated 13.9!

You are quite right the exhaust was blocked and was causing the performance issue. Replacing the oil and oil filter was greatly needed as there is a distinct differance in what came out to what went back in and this has completly stopped that worrying noise comming from the higher rev ranges in the engine.

A new back box has revitalised the car. 0-60 is now 13 seconds which is better than the rated 13.9!

You are quite right the exhaust was blocked and was causing the performance issue. Replacing the oil and oil filter was greatly needed as there is a distinct differance in what came out to what went back in and this has completly stopped that worrying noise comming from the higher rev ranges in the engine.

Thanks for your help, it has been very much appreciated.

Cheers,

Sam

glad you got it sorted m8

remember what was done as someone on here will ask for help for the same problem sometime i am sure

atleast you gotnew oil etc done as you said it would have been needed so was not a waste of time doing.